The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-12-06
Literary Notices.

Tributes of Hawaiian Verse; second
series, published by Thos. G. Thrum. This
is a neatly printed work bound in stamped
paper cover, with cord and tassel, bearing on
the face picture of Diamond Head. The
preface will probably give as intelligent a
notice as we could write, being as follows:
"a few years since holiday souvenir of Ha-
waiian Verse was published, comprising a
few selections from local poems, by consent
of the several authors. In this second effort,
the editor has taken the liberty to embrace a
few not strictly Hawaiian in tone, though
island written, but trusts the effort to pre-
serve these treasures of the muse in Hawaii
nei may be as kindly received as was the
souvenir of 1882. No claim of classic merit
is made for these selections, though several
have received commendable notice from
critics abroad"
The collection contains seventeen poems
and sonnets, some of them culled from local
papers, the authors including several popular
writers for the Honolulu press in former
days.
Federation and the British Colonies-a
Paper of Suggestions ;" by Patrick H. W.
Ross, of Hawaii. This is pamphlet issued
this year by London publishing house.
The author asks what eve" (the British
nation1 are, and what " we " have They
are " England and Wales, Scotland and the
Isles, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Chan
mel Isles, with an area of some 100 000 miles,
They have India, Australia, Anada. Tas
mania, New Zealand, and pH.h, ;.Iltr
colonies and possessions, amounting in all 10
an area of nearly 100000 squar- M -
India they hold and shall holt 10y military
power against all enemies from Within or
without. But the colonies are theirs only by
voluntary choice and sympathies, as the
writer does not believe the absolute SOY
ereignty of the Mother Country would ever
again be attempted to be enforced AS it was
against the American colonies. with the re-
suit of their being lost
The author therefore urges the Importance
of mutual compact being made to secure
Federation, so that British colonial subjects
should feel as deep an interest in the affairs
of the Empire, having the same ownership
In it, rs the people dwelling III the British
Isles. He arrives at a practical suggestion
IN this passage ave need Federal Gov
eminent. One universal national system,
binding from without, loOsening from with
IN. National in matters of national defense
and foreign relations; territorial in relation
to internal affairs; having a truly Imperial
Parliament of representatives from all the
component parts of the United Empire. and
Local Parliaments (analagous to the State
Deglslatnresl In each country to direct its
own affairs.n
be only wants to adopt so much AS is
clearly good in the American federal system,
avoiding the election of chief magistrate
with its attendant turmoil, and adds: "The
greatest difficulty is to indnce the conserya-
tive British mind to accept new idea or an
old truth in new guise." This can only be
effected by regeneration, or new birth of
opinions formed by different classes
of society of each other" In argu-
ment at length he Celebrates the mean
ing of this idea to be that there
must be more respect and sympathy enter
tanned by the English upper classes toward
the worthy men who are, by agricultural and
mechanical enterprise, building up the colo
NAL empire. "An exalted idea of ones own
Importance is generally Supposed to be one
of the greatest barriers to Genial intercourse,
and until the leading classes of home and
colony honestly appreciate the good that lies
in each other, We may safely assume that
perfect cohesion of parties is still a thing to
be hoped for"
This pamphlet of only thirty-two pages
contains as many practical ideas as many
much larger work, and MIR. Ross is to be con-
graduated on having contributed such a
res pectable quota to the discussion of the
great question of British Federation.